The present invention relates to a folding top for vehicles and folding method, wherein the top is stowed in an associate folding-top box when the folding top is stored and, more particularly, to a vehicle folding top and method in which a folding top covering is, during lowering of the top, drawn into the box and, at the same time, run on a directing edge at the upper margin of a limiting wall of the box.
Folding tops are generally known as shown, for example, in German Patent Specification 3,724,533. The rear-wall region of this folding top is made relatively long for aerodynamic reasons and has a correspondingly large-size, flexible plastic rear window and corner windows arranged laterally relative to the rear window. A folding top covering of this known folding top is held, underneath the windows, continuously by a U-shaped fabric-holding bar and, above the rear window, by a corner bow fastened pivotably to the fabric-holding bar. In order to lower the folding top into an associated folding-top box, the fabric-holding bar first has to be swung up into an erected intermediate position, after which it is located in a width plane lying behind the erect main bow. Since the corner bow comes into the width plane of the fabric-holding bar when the latter is swung up, this necessarily produces a large round-bending fold, the bending axis of which extends in the width direction of the vehicle and arches rearwardly out of the plane of the fabric-holding bar. This round-bending fold is maintained virtually unchanged during the lowering operation of the folding top, until the folding-top box orifice is reached, because the pivoting position of the fabric-holding bar no longer changes in relation to the main bow during the joint backward pivoting movement of these components. To obtain a good utilization of the constructional space of the convertible, the folding-top box and therefore also the folding-top box orifice are of relatively narrow cross-section. Because of this, the round-bending fold stiffened over its surface by the windows cannot enter the folding-top box orifice without contact, but instead runs onto the front limiting wall of the folding-top box, with the result that its projecting length of approximately 10 cm is drawn into the folding-top box only when the fabric-holding bar has been lowered.
In order to prevent damage to the folding-top covering during the lowering operation, the upper margin of the front limiting wall of folding-top boxes of conventional design is "softened" by rounding a directing edge which merges into the wall surface of the front limiting wall. As a result of the stiffening effect of the windows, in conjunction with the virtually right-angled transitions between the middle region and the lateral wall surfaces of the front limiting wall of the folding-top box, however, there is a danger, when the folding top is drawn beyond the directing edge, that sharp kink folds will form in the rear-wall region of the folding-top covering. Such kink folds constitute permanent deformation which has a persistent adverse effect on the appearance of the windows even after only a few actuating cycles of the folding top. Moreover, kink folds influence the bending behavior of the windows and are conducive to further surface damage to the scratch sensitive plastic windows.
An object of the present invention is an improvement of the insertion behavior and method of a folding top of the aforementioned type into a correspondingly narrow folding-top box, so that formation of sharp kink folds in a rear-wall region of the folding-top covering stiffened over its surface can be prevented.
The foregoing object has been achieved by providing a raised additionally directing contour prior to the directing edge of the folding-top box. The round-bending fold thereby already runs on in an earlier phase of the backward pivoting movement of the fabric-holding bar, with the result that the running-on underside of the round bending fold is bent at an obtuse angle with a consequent flattening of the round-bending fold. At the same time, the obtuse angle of the bend is determined by a supporting surface located in front of the run-on edge and by a sliding surface of the directing contour which, starting from the run-on edge, extends obliquely downwards in the drawing direction of the fabric-holding bar.
In one embodiment, the additional directing contour can consist of a body part itself or of a built-on part connected firmly to the body and made of plastic or the like. In an alternative embodiment, the directing contour can be formed by the circumferential contour of a pivotable bar which extends along the U-shaped front folding-top box limiting wall and which, in a position of rest, is arranged at or below the level of the folding-top box lid. This alternative embodiment is particularly desirable when there is already arranged in front of the folding-top box a roll bar which can be swung up out of a lowered position of rest into an erected protective position. When the roll bar lays in its rest position essentially flush with the upper edge of the closed folding-top box lid, it can perform the directing function if it projects sufficiently far beyond the directing edge of the folding-top box. Otherwise, there can be a partially swung-up intermediate position of the roll bar which it has the necessary height advantage. By the use of appropriate control elements, a motor drive present for the roll bar can also be used for allowing the roll bar to assume the intermediate position, so as to minimize extra outlays.